JP2000140422A - Controller for video game machine and its use - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enjoy photographing by a digital camera based on a video game machine. SOLUTION: To this controller 2 of the video game machine 4, a CCD camera 32 is attached so as to photograph surroundings. Image data photographed by the CCD camera 32 are stored in a large capacity RAM loaded as an image memory. The image data stored in the RAM are transferred through a cable 28 for transmitting operation input signals from an operation button to the video game machine 4. The video game machine 4 edits the obtained image data, utilizes them for a game, screen-displays them on a display 14, preserves them in a memory cartridge 12 or prints and outputs them to a printing device 16 correspondingly to a game program read from a CD-ROM 8 mounted to a CD-ROM drive device 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a controller for a video game machine, and more particularly to a controller having a digital camera and a method of using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, digital cameras that can easily take pictures are popular. This digital camera includes a compact and high-performance CCD camera, and can record a taken image as digital image data. For this reason, the photographed image can be immediately visually confirmed, or an unnecessary image can be immediately deleted. In addition, since the captured images can be imported to a personal computer or the like and processed or edited for use, coupled with the recent personal computer boom, the popularity has been spurred.

[0003]

On the other hand, recently, high-performance video game machines have become remarkably popular alongside personal computers. These video game machines are inexpensive and easy to operate, but have excellent image processing capabilities and performance comparable to that of personal computers.

The present inventors have paid attention to such a high-performance video game machine, and wondered if the video game machine can somehow enjoy the same shooting as a digital camera.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to enjoy shooting with a digital camera based on a video game machine.

[0006]

A controller for a video game machine according to the present invention comprises several operation input means operated by a player, a signal processing means for processing operation input signals from these operation input means, and a video processing apparatus. A controller for a video game machine, comprising: signal transmission means connected to the game machine; and communication processing means for communicating with the computer of the video game machine through the signal transmission means and transmitting the operation input signal to the video game machine. , A digital camera for photographing the surroundings is attached to the housing of the controller, and an image memory for temporarily storing image data photographed by the digital camera is built in, and the image data stored in the image memory Is transmitted to the video game machine by the communication processing means and the transmission means. It is characterized in that form.

In a method of using a controller of a video game machine according to the present invention, the controller is connected to a video game machine, and a medium storing a specific game program is loaded into the video game machine and executed. By doing so, the image processing device communicates with the communication processing means of the controller, takes in the image data stored in the image memory into the video game machine, and sends out the image data to the game display.

[0008] Further, by executing the specific game program on the video game machine, the image data fetched from the controller is appropriately edited and used as a game video.

The video game machine is loaded with a portable memory cartridge for recording the progress of the game and the like, and the specific game program is executed by the video game machine, so that the image data or The edited image data is stored in the recording unit of the portable memory cartridge.

[0010] Also, by connecting a printer device to the video game machine and executing the specific game program on the video game machine, image data taken from the controller or edited image data is printed on the printer device. Output.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS === Overview of Video Game Machine and Controller Thereof === FIG. 1 shows an external view of a controller, a video game machine and peripheral parts of the present embodiment, and FIG.
Shown in The controller 2 is connected to the video game machine 4 via a cable 28 as signal transmission means of the present invention. The video game machine 4 includes a CD-ROM drive device 6
And a cartridge mounting unit 10. CD-R
A CD-ROM 8 storing various game programs is exchangeably mounted on the OM drive device 6. A portable memory cartridge 12 is provided in the cartridge mounting section 10.
Is attached. In addition, a display 14 and a printer device 16 are connected to the video game machine 4.

When the CD-ROM 8 is mounted on the CD-ROM drive device 6 of the video game machine 4, the main computer 18 built in the video game machine 4 drives the CD-RO.
The game program is read from M8 and automatically executed. The main computer 18 drives the video generation processor 20 and the audio generation processor 22 in accordance with the read game program to generate a game image and a game sound, and outputs an audio image to the display 14. A game image is displayed on the display screen of the display 14, and an attached speaker (not shown) of the display 14 is provided.
Outputs a game sound as sound. The player operates the controller 2 while watching and listening to these game images and game sounds.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show a front view and a rear view of the controller 2, respectively. A large number of operation buttons 3a, 3b, 3 are provided on the housing 30 of the controller 2.
c is provided. A left grip 31a and a right grip 31b are provided at both right and left ends of the housing 30, respectively, so that the player can hold the player with his / her left hand and right hand. The player holds the operation buttons 3 provided on the front of the controller with the thumbs of both the left and right hands.
a, and presses the index finger on both sides of the controller.
Pressing operation against b. The operation button 3c can be pressed by either the left hand or the right hand. These operation buttons 3a, 3b, 3c constitute an operation button group 3. The operation content of the player is the operation buttons 3
a, 3b, and 3c are input to the microcomputer 24 as operation signals via the operation input IF5. The microcomputer 24 controls the controller I of the video game machine 4 through the communication control unit 25.
A communication protocol is established with F26, and operation signals from the operation buttons 3a, 3b, 3c are sequentially transmitted, and the operation contents of the player are transmitted to the video game machine 4 in real time. The main computer 18 of the video game machine 4
The game is advanced according to the operation content from the controller 2. Data such as the progress of the game played by the player can be stored in a built-in memory (not shown) of the memory cartridge 12 mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 10.

=== Characteristics of Controller === The controller 2 includes a small, high-performance CCD camera 32 as a component of a digital camera in an upper central portion of the housing 30. The CCD camera 32 is rotatably supported between two support portions 34 protruding from the upper surface of the housing 30, and the photographing direction can be appropriately changed on either the front side or the rear side of the controller 2. is there.

Image data picked up by the CCD camera 32 is stored in an image memory 36 built in the controller 2. For this purpose, the controller 2 has a large-capacity RAM having a considerable storage capacity as the image memory 36, and can store several to several tens of image data output from the CCD camera 32. . The storage method of the image data may be a bitmap method, a J-PEG method, or any other method. The image data is stored in the image memory 36.
Is determined by an operation instruction from the player through the operation buttons 3a, 3b, 3c or a command from the video game machine 4 side.

The image data in the image memory 36 is transmitted to the video game machine 4 via the communication control unit 25 in response to an instruction from the player or the video game machine 4 in the same manner as when the microcomputer 24 transmits an operation signal to the video game machine 4. A communication protocol is established and transferred with the controller IF 26 of the game machine 4.

=== Specific Usage of Controller =
== In order to use the CCD camera 32 of the controller 2, a C that stores a game program corresponding to the controller 2 is used.
Prepare a D-ROM 8 and insert it into the CD of the video game machine 4.
-To be mounted on the ROM drive device 6. This controller 2
The game program corresponding to (1) includes a program (camera corresponding program) for the video game machine 4 to capture image data captured by the CCD camera 32 from the controller 2 and display and output the image data. The main computer 18 automatically reads and executes the camera corresponding program.

The main computer 18 operates according to the camera corresponding program, and obtains image data from the controller 2. Here, when the camera-compatible program is a logical system integrated with the program of the role playing game, the racing game, or the fighting game, the main computer 18 operates according to the program, and A game video in which the acquired image data is pasted on the face of a game character or used as a background image is generated and output to the display 14 as a video.

If the camera-compatible program is an image editing program, an original image is created by editing image data from the controller 2 through interactive processing with a player, and the image is displayed on the display 14. indicate. The main computer 18 prints out image data to the printer device 16 via the printer IF 17 in accordance with an instruction from the player,
May be stored in the data memory of the memory cartridge 12 mounted on the memory cartridge 12.

=== Other Embodiments === (1) The controller may be directly connected to the video game machine without using a cable. Further, the communication system with the video game machine may be an optical system such as an infrared system, a system using a radio wave, or the like, in addition to a cable system using a cable.

(2) The CCD camera attached to the controller may be either a monochrome type or a color type.

(3) The storage medium on which the game program is stored may be of a cassette type, a disk type, a card type or any other type in addition to the CD-ROM.

[0023]

According to the present invention, since the digital camera is attached to the controller of the video game machine, images taken by the digital camera can be easily taken into the video game machine with a very simple configuration. In addition, if you provide various game programs compatible with this controller, you can use existing video game machines to enjoy editing and processing image data with a digital camera using a video game machine or use it for games be able to. Further, the image data can be stored in a memory cartridge of the game machine, and is easy to carry and store. For this reason,
This eliminates the need for expensive image editing devices and peripheral devices such as personal computers, and allows the user to enjoy shooting with a digital camera at a low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view showing a video game machine of the present invention, its controller, and peripheral systems.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a video game machine according to the present invention, its controller and peripheral systems.

FIG. 3A is a front view of the controller when viewed from the front side. (B) It is a rear view when the controller is seen from the back side.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Controller 3 Operation button group 3a, 3b, 3c Operation button 4 Video game machine 6 CD-ROM drive device 8 CD-ROM 12 Memory cartridge 14 Display 16 Printer device 18 Main computer 24 Microcomputer 32 CCD camera 36 Image memory

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Toshifumi Nishimura 640 Saedo-cho, Tsuzuki-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Hori Electric Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 2C001 CA00 CA08 CA09 CB01 CB03 CB05 CB08 CC02 CC07 5B020 AA20 CC00 CC08 CC12 HH12 KK00

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. Operation input means operated by a player, signal processing means for processing operation input signals from these operation input means, signal transmission means connected to a video game machine, and signal transmission means Means for communicating with the computer of the video game machine through the means, and communication processing means for transmitting the operation input signal to the video game machine. A controller for the video game machine, comprising: The video game machine is attached to the housing and has a built-in image memory for temporarily storing image data captured by the digital camera. The image data stored in the image memory is transmitted to the video game machine by the communication processing means and the transmission means. A controller for a video game machine, wherein the controller is configured to transmit data to a video game machine. 2. The communication processing means of the controller, wherein the controller according to claim 1 is connected to a video game machine, and the video game machine is loaded with a medium on which a specific game program is recorded and executed. A video game machine which captures image data stored in the image memory and transmits the image data to a game display. 3. The use method according to claim 2, wherein the specific game program is executed on the video game machine, so that the image data captured from the controller is appropriately edited and used as a game video. It is characterized by doing. 4. The method according to claim 2, wherein a portable memory cartridge for recording a progress of a game or the like is mounted on the video game machine, and the specific game program is loaded on the video game machine. And storing the image data fetched from the controller or the edited image data in a recording unit of the portable memory cartridge. 5. The use method according to claim 2, wherein a printer device is connected to the video game machine, and the specific game program is executed by the video game machine. The image data acquired from the controller or the edited image data is printed out to the printer device.